Exhaust-heater for air-inlets.



G. H. CURTISS.

EXHAUST HEATER FOR AIR INLETS.

APPLICATION FILED sEPT.18. 1915.

LQY, Patnted Dec. 26,1916.

Tnvenor @LEAN HCURTIS@ specification.

lliilll'iillhl@ PATENT @FFXEO GLENN H. CURTISS, 0F BUFFALO, NEWiYORK.

EXHAUST-HEATER FOR AIR-INLETS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

intenten nee. 2e, raie.

Application filed September 18., 19,15. Serial No. 51,277.

To ZZ whom t may concern Be it known that 1, GLENN H. Ciii'riss, a citizen of the `United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York7 have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Exhaust-Heaters for Air-inlets, of which the following is a This invention has particularly to do with lan apparatus' for heating air foi-the fuel line housing. Ordinarily the exhaust pipes are mere stubs of suliicient length to convey the exhaust gases clear of the side ofthe craft and the head of the operator. l

1t is contemplated by the present invention, accordingly, to produce an apparatus making effective use of the heating capacity of the motor exhausts, suchr apparatus including a casing adapted to contain a lon gitudinal row of the exhaust conduits in battery so that the sinn of their-heating capacities may be employed fo` a single air inlet controllable in conjunction with the fuel mixing apparatus of the motor.

Itis a further object of the invention to construct the heat easing of streamline formation such that`the resistance to forward movement normally occasioned by the multiple exhaust conduits on each side of the motor housing, will be cut downto vthe mi imum.

f he above and additional objects, to be "hereinafter more specifically treated, are accomplished by such` means as are illustrated inl the drawings, described in the following specification and then more clearly pointed out in the claims, which are appended hereto and form a part of this application.

lVitli reference to the drawings, in which there is illustrated one embodiment of the invention, and throughout several views of which like characters of reference designate similar parts, Figure l is a side elevation of an aeroplane aslequipped with the exhaust heater of this invention; Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the -heater casing per' s0;

Fig. A3 is a front end view of thefsame, showing parts ot the'motor and aeroplane elements; and Fig. l is a partial, longitudinal,

sectional view taken through the casing.

An internal combustion motor which is designated in its entirety by the numeral10 includes a number of cylinders l1, and is so housed in the body 12 of the aircraft that the heads of the cylinders and the exhaust conduits 13 thereofare adapted to project therefrom. The exhaust conduits 13 project laterally from the cylinders '11 and lie approximately in the same longitudinal plane', one of, these conduits being employed for each cylinder. Normallyyproj ections of these conduits are made in order to convey the waste gasesclear of the body l2 of themachine. 4It is the object of this invention, however, to inclose these continuations of the exhaust pipes by a streamlike casing,

which shall not ,only utilize the quantities' of heat radiated from the pipes for the purpose of raising the temperature of the air adapted to be mixed with the hydrocarbon fuel for the motor, but which shallalso cut down the resistance to forward movement otherwise oiiered'by a battery of pipes so elongated.

'The heater casing is designated by the numeral 14, being longitudinal ofthe streamline section 'clearly illustrated in Fig. Q ,and having its sides 15 closed'around the prolongations 1G of the exhaust conduits. Each of these prolongations includes a tube or conduit having a passage equal to and.

adapted to register withthe passage of the exhaust pipe proper7 with'which 'it is connected through the mediumvof fastening means 17 operative through a joint generally designated by the numeral 18' in order to fasten the pipes 1G firmly on the yextremities of the exhaust conduits, and within the heater casing at the same time.

The pipes 16 form what may be termed,-

a heating gridor radiator, the passage of `air over which will cause the temperature of the latter to be raised considerably. Air is'admitted into the casing through an induction opening 19 and after circulation around the exhaust pipes 16 is drawn from thel casing at the opposite end through the I the exhaust conduitsin battery or in multiple for this vheatingpurpose, the elongated form? fact -that such departure-s from the particuconduit 20 which leads to the carbureter 21 of the motor. Preferably the conduit 20 enters the body l2lv of the aeroplane along a path which takes it into close to the heads of the cylinders 11.

i Theloperation of the apparatus is most' efficient.' Y

The heater warms up immediately when proximity vthe motor is started and vheats the air quickly to comparatively high temperatures .owing to the rapid radiation of heat from the waste gases through'- the exhaust pipe continuations 16. The air is passed successively over the conduits from front to rear, Such action heating it progressively to-tlie'higher temperatures desired; Besides. accommodating of the casing lends. itself extremely well to a streamline section, thus materiallyreduc- I inc .the head resistance of the craft.

. Vhile in the foregoing, however, there has thus been illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification such conib inationand arrangement of elements as constitute one preferred embodiment of this invention, it' is desired to emphasize the` lar embodiment disclosedmay be made in later adaptations of this invention as shall be recognized aswitliin the scope of the appended claims.

.What is clainiedis: 1. In combination, a 'multiple cylinder motor, exhaust conduits therefrom occupying positions substantially in the same longitudinally extending plane, and a heater casing having a longitudinal section of streamline forni inclosingsaid conduits in battery.

2. In combination'an-air craft, a driving motor therefor having an exhaust conduit,

a stream-line heater casing disposed vin a longitudinally extending plane incasing said exhaust conduit, a carbureting device caibureting device for the motor located said .heater casing having an induction port within the body of said air craft, and an' intake air conduit interconnecting said carbureter and one end of said heater casing,

at its opposite end.

- 4. In combination an air craft, a multiplc cylinder motor-therefor, exhaust conduits for said motor lying approximately in a longitudinally extending plane, a streamline heater casing, the body of which is pierced transversely by said exhaust Conduits, a carbureting device for Said motor, an air intake conduit connecting said car' bureter with one end of said' heater casing,

`said heater casing having an induction opening at its opposite end..

5. In an air craft having. a streamline body in' combination, an internal combus- 4tion motor located in the body of said Vair craft and having a' multiple number of cylsaid body casing and lying approximately in the Asame longitudinally extending plane, anA air heater casing having a streamline form, transversely pierced through by said exhaust conduits in battery, a carbureting device within the bodv of said air craft, and an airA intake connecti, the saidcarbureter'with one end of said heater casing, said casing having an air induction port at its opposite end. t

6. In combination, a multiple cylinder motor, separate exhaust conduits extending' therefrom, continuations for each conduit, and a heater casing adapted to inclose sepa-- rately the central continuations.

7, In combination, a multiple cylinder motor, exhaust conduits extending from the motor, continuations for each conduit, acasing adapte-d to inclose said continuations to forni a heating grid, and means connecting said continuations to said conduits and said casings concurrently.'

8. In combination, a multicylinder motor, exhaust conduits extending from the motor, individual continuations for each conduit, a casing extending across said continuations intermediate their ends and adapted to separately inclose said continuations to form a .inders, exhaust conduits projecting without portion of each vof said.

heating grid, and means connecting said4 continuations to-said conduits and said casing concurrently.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

GLENN H. cURTiss. 

